Electric sunshine-annunciator



.(No Model.)

L. HUNT. ELECTRIC SUNSHINE ANNUNGIATOR.

Patented Mar. 23, 1897.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEONARD HUNT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ELECTREC SUNSHlNE-ANNUNCEATOR.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 579,393, dated March 23,1897'.

Application filed October 17, 1896.

T0 @ZZ wiz/077e t may concern:

Beit known that i, LEONARD ii Cnr, ot1 the city of St. Louis and Stateof Missouri, have invented certain new and useful improvements inElectric Sunshine-Annunciators, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part hereof.

My present invention relates to electric sun shine-annunciators, and isan improvement upon the construction shown, described, and claimed in myapplication filed March 23, 1896, and serially numbered 581,444, andboth of my applications are improvements upon the device shown in UnitedStates Letters Patent No. 551,28i, granted to myself and Frederick 1V.Duenckel as joint inventors, of which patent i am now the sole owner.

My invention consists in the novel construction, combination, andarrangement of parts hereinafter shown, described, and claimed.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my improvedsunshine-annunciator, taken approximately on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2.Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device with the glass removed. Fig. 3is a vertical sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. et is avertical sectional view illustrating the construction of a stop of which1 make use. Fig. 5 is a view in perspective of a clip carryingcontact-points and used in breaking and closing the circuit.

Referring by numerals to the drawings, i is a rectangular metal base,and said base has a rim 2 projecting downwardly from its edges. In thecenter of the upper face of the base 1 is located a bearing-frame 3,which is adj ustably connected to said base by means of themachine-screws 4, working in the slots 5 and screw-seated in thebase-block 5".

The bearing-frame 3 consists of the base G and the upwardly-extendingarms 7 and S, formed integral, and in the upper ends of the arms 7 and 8are V-shaped notches forming the bearings 9 and 10.

The disks 11 are secured to the outer faces of the arms 7 and 8 by meansof the screws 12 in such a position that said V -shaped notches arehidden from view from either side of the machine.

Projecting upwardly from the upper surface of the base 1 and near theedges thereof Serial No. 609,188, (No model.)

is a wall 13, encircling the mechanism of the annunciator. Fixed to oneend of the base 1 and outside of the wall 125 are bin ding-posts 1i and15, te which the wires 1G and 17 of the recordinginstrument 1S areattached. Oups 19 and 2O are located in apertures in the base 1 insideof the wall 13 and near the bindingposts 1i and l5. Wires 21 and 22 arefixed iu the bottoms of these cups and connect with the binding-posts 11and 15. The cups 10 and 2O are partly filledwith mercury.

Mounted in the bearings 9 and 10 is a bar 2.3, having a knife-edge uponeach of its ends to form a pivotal connection between said bar and saidbearings, and projecting downwardly in parallel positions relative toeach other from the centerof the bar 23 is a pair of rods 24, and ascrew 25 is inserted through the bearing in the center of the bar landextends downwardly between said rod, 24C with its head resting upon saidbar,

A sliding block 2G has a central aperture 27, which is screw-threaded toreceive the sere f 25, and upon each side of this central aperture 27are apertures 2S, in which the rods 21 slidingly operate. The block 2Gis designed to be raised and lowered by the operation of the screw 25,and the screw 25 is operated by manually engaging the milled headthereof. A scre\\'threaded rod 29 extends from near the upper end of theblock 26 and in a horizontal position toward one end of the machine, anda screw-threaded weight 30 is ad j ustably mounted upon said rod.Attached to the end of and formed integral with the block 2G is ahorizontal bar 31, to each end of which are fixed the hori-Zontally-alined loops or clamps 32 and .Each of the clamps S2 and 33consists of two parts in the form of a split bearing, and said parts areheld together by means of the machine-screws 3i.

A glass pipe having the upturned ends 3G and 37 and filled with mercury,is placed iu a horizontal position in the clamps 32 and Strips 3S ofpacking are placed around the pipe before the clamps and 33 aretightened. The end 3G of the pipe 35 extends upwardly some distance atright angles to the body of said pipe, and then the portion 39 of saidpipe is bent inwardly, and a portion O of said pipeextends downwardly.The end IOO 3G of the pipe, including the portions 30 and 40, is formedof clear glass. lhe end 37 corresponds to the end 3G in construction;but said end is painted black.

A post ttl is attached tothe base t' bymeans of the screws 42. A slot423 is iormed in the post atl and extends Vfrom nea-r the top to nearthe bottom of said post and in a direction through said posttransversely ot the machine. A notch it is formed from the lower end otthe post Ll-l nearly to the lower end oi the slot 43, thus leaving` thehorizontal wall l5 dividing` said slot from said notch. A bloc-lr. le isslidingly mounted in the slot LLB, and a screw 47 is vertically mountedwith its head resting upon the horizontal wall 4S, which 'forms theupper end of the slot i3, and with its lower end extending through abearing in the hori zontal wall e5, and a collar l) is rigidly iixedupon the lower end of said screw e7 to prevent said screw from beingdrawn out of position. ln the arms 50, which extend from the block -G,are formed screw-threaded ap ertures, through which the screw-threadedportion of the screw 47 operates, as required, to raise and lower theblock t6 by the man ipnlation of the milled head 5l ot' said screw.

Projecting forwardly from the upper and lower ends of the block etti arearms 52, between which the pipe 35 operates, and said arms act as a stopto limit the vibration of said pipe.

A clip 53 is placed on the pipe 35 and near the upturned end 36, andfrom said clip projects a horizontal arm 5l. Suitable insulation 55 isinserted between the pipe and the clip 53, and the clip 5.5 isadjustably held in position by means of the screw 5b. When the pipe 35is made of glass, Vthe insulation 55 is not required for the purpose ofinsulation, rbut takes the place of packing to prevent the clip fromcrushing the pipe.

An inverted-U-shaped bar 57 is attached to the end of the arm 5l, withits ends depending into the cups 11) and 20. A suitable glass case 5Sencireles the wall l-S and covers and protects the mechanismhereinbelore described.

Extending horizontally from the center of the end portion of the rim 2is a post 5f), through which a rod 50 passes, and said rod is heldadjustably in position relative to said post by means ot the set-screwGO. The rod 59 extends upwardly and is bent inwardly to a positionapproximately over the center of the machine, and a sheet-metal shoe (51is attached to the upper end of said red and is curved into shape to fitthe apex of the glass case, and said case is held in position by thetension of said rod 59"' upon said shoe (il.

By manipulating the screw 25 the center of gravity of the pipe 85 andthe ends and 37 of said pipe are raised or lowered relative to thesupporting-bar 23, thereby causing the apparatus to be more or lesssensitive, as desired. The pipe 35 is adjusted by sliding it through theclamps S2 and 33 until it merely balances, and then said clamps aretightened, thus holding said pipe in position relative to the clamps. Bymanipulating the weight 30 upon the screw-threaded rod 29 the ends SGand 37 can be exactly balanced. The ends SG and 37 are hermeticallysealed, and the horizontal portion oi the pipe 35 is filled with mercuryuntil the mercury extends a slight distance into the lower parts of thevertical portions oi. the ends Sii and 37. Normally the air above themercury in the white or clear end 36 is under the greatest pressure, andthis will cause the mercury to stand slightly higher in the black end 37than in the white end. 'lhe adjusting mechanism should be so manipulatedthat the white end of the pipe will be overbalanced when the sun is notshiningon the mechanism. Then the bar 57 will stand out ot contact withthe mercury in the cups if) and 20. The ends and 37 oi' the pipe 35perform the same Afunctions as the bulbs shown in the patent above citedand in my concurrent application, and at the same time they are simplerin construction. lt is obvious that the shape oi these ends is notmaterial, but that `it is easier to make them in tubular form than tomalte them in bulbous form, and that the same result is obtained.

T.Vhen the sun shines, the black end 37 absorbs more heat than the clearor white end 3G on account ot the difference in size and the diltereneein color, and the air within said black end expands, forcing out themercury, and thus lightening said black end and causing it to beoverbalanced by the white end, and the pipe tips downwardly on the endcarrying the clip 53, thus dipping the bar 57 into the mercury in thecups l.) and l0 and closing the circuit between the wires at the lowerends el said cups and causing the registering mechanism to operate. Assoon s the sun passes under a cloud the black end cools and becomesheavy again, thus breaking the circuit. -3y nianipulating the screw 5lthe stops 52, between which the pipe 35 operates, may be raised andlowered as desired to keep said pipe substantially in a horizontalposition as the pipe is raised and lowered by the manipulation of thescrew 25. Thus it will be seen that my present invention possessesadvantages over my former devices7 especially in its simplicity ofconstruction.

The pipe 235 and the upwardly-cxtending ends may be constructed ol'glass or metal, and the ends may be bent into any shape and colored inany way that will adapt them to present large surfaces for thedifferential absorption and radiation of heat, and instead ol' iillingthe horizontal portion of the pipe with mercury any liquid may beemployed which will retain its fluidity under 'the con` ditions to whichthe instrument is apt to be exposed.

l claimn l. in an electric suiishine-annunciator, a

IIO

supporting-frame adjustably attached to a base, said supporting-frameconsisting of the base-plate G having the slot through which slot thesaid plate is adjustably bolted tothe i base of the machine, the arms 7and 3 projecting upwardly from opposite edges of said base-plate 6, theV-shaped bearings t) and lO formed in the upper ends of said arms andthe disks ll attached to the outer faces o1 said upper ends by means ofthe screws l2, substantially as specified.

2. In an electric sunshine-annuneiator, the frame 35 consisting of thebase-plate G having the slot 5 through which slot the said plate isadjustably bolted to the base ot the machine, the arms 7 and Sprojecting upwardly from opposite edges of said base-plate G, theV-shaped bearings t) and l() formed in the upper ends of said arms inthe disks ll attached to the outer faces of said upper ends by means otthe screws l2; the bar mounted in said bearings 9 and i0, the pair ofrods 2lextending downwardly from said bar, the

screw inserted through the center of said.

screw-threaded rod, the horizontal bar formed integral with the lowerend of said block 26, and the clamps 32 and carried by the ends of saidbar 3l, substantially as specilied.

3. ln an electric sunshine-annunciator, the rectangular metal base l,the rim 2 projecting downwardly from the edges of said base, the frame 3adjustably attached to said base by means of the screws 4- operating inthe slots 5 and screw-seated in the base-block 5u; said Jframe 3consisting ot the base-plate G, the arms 7 and S projecting upwardlyfrom opposite edges of said base-plate G, the V-shaped iearings t) andl0 formed in the upper ends of said arms and the disks l1 attached tothe outer faces of said upper ends by means ot the screws l2; the barmounted in said bearings 9 and 10, the pair of rods Yxtending downwardlyfrom said bar, the screw 25 inserted through the center of said bar andextending downwardly between the rods 2l with its head resting upon saidbar, the sliding block 2G having the central aperture 27 in which saidscrew 25 operates and having the apertures 2S in which the rods 2lslidingly operate, the screw-threaded rod 29 extending from said blockin a horizontal position, the screw-threaded weight 30 upon saidscrewthreaded rod, the horizontal bar 3 formed integral with the lowerend of said block 2G, the clamps 32 and 33 carried by the encs et saidbar 3l, the pipe 35 slidingly mounted in said clamps and 33 and haringthe upwardly-extending white end 3G and the upwardly-extending black end37 and the horizontal portion of said pipe being filled with mercury,the clip 53 attached to said pipe, the arm 5l attached to said clip andthe U- shaped bar 57 carried by said arm, the cups 19 and 2O mounted insaid base-plate l and partly iilled with mercury and in position to havesaid mercury engaged bythe free ends of said bar 57, and suitableelectrical connections with said cups, substantially as specilied.

il. ln an electric sunshine-aiinunciator, a pipe haring the horizontalcentral portion 35 lille/d with mercury, the portion 3G extendingupwardly from one end of said horizontal portion, the portion 30 bentinwardly from the upper end ot the portion 3G and the portion l0extending downwardly l rom said portion 39, said portions 36, 3S) and l0being' clear, and having the portion 37 extending' upwardly from the endopposite said port-ion 3G, the portion 30 bent inwardly from the upperend or" said portion 37 and the portion lO extending downwardly fromsaid portion 39, said portions 37, 39 and lt) being black, and the lowerends of said portions l() being scaled, substantially as specified.

5. ln an electric sunsliine-ai'inunciator, the post il attached to asuitable base by means ot the machine-screws 2, said post haring theslot and the notch and the horizontal walls -i-5 and i3, the block i6slidingly mounted in the slot -l-3, the screw 4:7 vertically mounted inbearings in said horizontal walls and i8 and passing throughscrewthreaded apertures in the arms which project from the block i6, thecollar l0 iixed to the lower end oi' said screw to prevent said screwfrom being withdrawn from its position, the milled head 5l upon theupper end of said screw tor operating the same, and the arms 52)rejecting from said blocl; 16, substantially as speciied.

6. ln an electric sunshine-annunciator, the rectangular base-plate l,the rim 2 projecting downwardly from the edges ot' said base-plate, theframe 3 adjustably mounted upon said base-plate, the horizontal bar 3lpivotally connected to said frame, the clips 32 and 33 carried by theends of said bar, the pipe,haying the horizontal portion 35, sl'idinglymounted in said clips and the clear end 3G extending upwardly from oneend of said horizontal portion and the blacl; end 37 extending upwardlyfrom the other end of said horizontal portion, the cups 19 and 2Omounted in said base-plate l and partly lilled with mercury, suitableelectrical connections to said cups, the clip 53 carried by said pipeand the U- shaped bar 57 carried by said clip and in position to engagethe in ereury within said cups, substantially as specified.

7. ln an elect-ric sunshine-annunciator, the rectangular base-plate l,'the rim 2 projecting downwardly from the edges of saidl base-plate, the'frame 3 adjustably mounted upon said base-plate, the horizontal bar 31-pivotally IOO IIC

connected to said frame, the clips 32 and 33 carried by the ends of saidbar, the pipe, having` the horizontal portion 35, slidingly mounted insaid clips and the clear end 3U extending upwardly from one end of saidhorizontal portion and the black end 37 extending upwardly from theother end of said horizontal portion,the cups 19 and 2O mounted in saidbase-plate l and partly filled with mercury, suitable electricalconnections to said cups, the clip 53 carried by said pipeand theU-shaped bar 57 carried by said clip and in position to engage themercury Within said cups, the post il attached to said frame il by meansof the screws 42, the block 4:6 arranged for Vertical adjustment in saidpost, and the arms 52 extending from said block upon opposite sides ofsaid pipe to limit the vibration of said pipe, substantially asspecified.

S. In an electric sunshine-annunciator, the rectangular base-plate l,the rim 2 extending Clowmvardly from the ed ges of said base-plate, theWall 13 extending` upwardly from said base-plate, the glass case 58surround ing` said wall and resting` upon said base-plate7 the post 50extending horizontally from one end of said rim, the rod 50 sliding-lymounted in said post and adjustably held in position by means of theset-screw 60, and the sheetmetal shoe 0l attached to the upper end ofsaid rod 50 and engaging the apex oi said glass case to hold said casein position, substantially as specified.

9. ln an electric sunshine-annunciator, a pipe pivotally mounted with asubstantially horizontal central portion filled with suitable liquid andthe ends of said pipe being turned upwardly into planes above saidhorizontal portion and filled with air and hermetically sealed, and saidpipe being cylindrical throughout all its upper parts and saidupwardly-turned ends being` of a sufficient length to present largesurfaces for the differential absorption and .radiation of heat,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEONARD HUNT.

lfitnesscs:

S. G. WuLLs, MAJU n G iur nl N.

